Children Shoot Semiautomatic Weapons at NM Firing Range

A New Mexico shooting range encourages children to practice shooting semiautomatic weapons, despite a fatal accident this week involving a 9-year-old girl in Arizona.

Calibers, a shooting range in Albuquerque, New Mexico, lets children as young as 8 pull the trigger on handguns, rifles and even semiautomatic weapons, according to ABC affiliate KOAT-TV in Albuquerque.

Nighbert doubts that such an accident could happen at his gun range. He only allows children to shoot semiautomatic weapons with barrels longer than 16 inches, he told KOAT.

"With a short barrel, it's a very short movement for that barrel to cover my body and put me in danger," he said. "With a long barrel, even if you had poor recoil control, the muzzle can't cover my head."

Nighbert also said Calibers considers a customer’s shooting skill, physical skill and maturity before allowing children to shoot weapons.